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Londo Epatoi (East Celt Light Cavalry)
Sword wielding cavalry of the eastern Keltoi. Savage and determined, Londo Epatoi are an excellent addition to any army which requires a flexible and reliable cavalry arm. Description (Lon-doh E-pat-oy. 'Savage Riders') Cunning as wolves, deadly as eagles and swift as falcons. With bloodlust in their veins and eyes aflame with courage and elan, they charge. When the thunder of their mounts sounds across the battlefield, that is when the stomachs of lesser men lurch and their bowels open over their legs. No quarter given and none asked, the Londo Epatoi are without mercy for their foes, for they know that if they fail it may be their womenfolk who are sold into slavery and their sons who are put beneath the yoke. The Keltoi of the east are famed for many things and, riding with the speed of a thunderclap and the courage of an auroch, the Londo Epatoi are one of them. Historically, the Keltoi of the east, such as the Boioi, Skordiskoi, Tauriskoi and the Galatoi, produced some excellent cavalry. Just like their Gallic cousins in the west, the Keltoi of the east appear to have held the horse in high esteem, producing numerous objects, including coins and sword scabbard, bearing images of horses. Excavations at sites like the Boioi oppidum of Staré Hradisko have revealed extensive evidence for the production of horse riding gear. Thanks to discoveries by archaeologists in Turkey and Austria we have a fairly clear idea of what these troop types looked like. Two examples from the above countries display spikey haired, sword wielding mounted warriors with elongated shields. The fact these two discoveries bear such a strong resemblance to one another, despite being separated by such a long distance, may be the result of standard art style employed when depicting cavalry. However, archaeological analysis has shown that many of the developments and changes which Keltoi weaponry underwent occurred at roughly the same time across the La Tène world at roughly the same time, suggesting that such warriors did in fact bear a strong resemblance to each other. The Hellene author Pausanius provides a fascinating insight into the tactics of the Keltoi who invaded Hellas and Asia in the 3rd century BC. According to him the cavalry fought in a formation known as a "trimarcisia" which involved a warrior being supported by two servants who would bring him a fresh mount if his were killed or, if required, take his place in the line of battle if he were wounded. The existence of such a technique attests to the effective training which some eastern Keltoi horsemen received. This training, coupled with excellent equipment, meant that horsemen were an important feature of many of the battles which eastern Keltoi fought in. At battles such as Sentium in 295BC and Telamon in 225BC, the presence of such horsemen was noted by classical authors. Likewise many foreign powers were eager to make use of eastern Keltoi riders, including Hannibal who use them to great effect at the Battle of Cannae in 216BC, and Antiochus III who used Galatian kataphraktoi at Magnesia in 190BC. The effectiveness of these troops meant that, even after Roma had incorporated the majority of eastern Keltoi into her empire, such cavalrymen could enjoy long and rewarding careers in the Romani army. Category:Units Category:Units available only in EB2 Category:Boii